Ophthalmic devices having a highly selective violet light transmissive filter and related methods

Abstract

Ophthalmic devices are provided having a violet-light vertical cut-off filter abruptly absorbs light between the wave lengths of between approximately and 400 nm and 450 nm such that a curve when plotted as percent transmission versus wavelength has the shape as depicted in FIG. 2 . In one embodiment the ophthalmic devices are made from acrylates and the light absorbing compound is an Eastman Yellow 035 MA dye.

1. An intraocular lens comprising: an optic; at least one haptic; and a vertical cut-off filter incorporated in the optic, wherein the vertical cut-off filter abruptly absorbs light between the wavelength of between approximately 400 nm and 450 nm, wherein the vertical cut-off filter increases transmittance from about 0% at 400 nm to greater than 80% at 450 nm. 
     
     
       2. The intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter comprises at least one violet light absorbing dye. 
     
     
       3. The intraocular lens according to  claim 2 , wherein the violet light absorbing dye is present in the ophthalmic device at a concentration of between approximately 0.005% and 0.2%. 
     
     
       4. The intraocular lens according to  claim 2 , wherein the at least one violet light absorbing dye is a methine linkage containing dye. 
     
     
       5. The intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , further comprising a structural polymer, wherein the structural polymer is an acrylate. 
     
     
       6. The intraocular lens according to  claim 5  wherein the violet light absorbing dye is covalently bound to the structural polymer. 
     
     
       7. The intraocular lens according to  claim 5 , wherein the light absorbing dye is freely dispersed within the structural polymer. 
     
     
       8. The intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter comprises a violet light absorbing dye. 
     
     
       9. The intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter abruptly absorbs light between the wavelengths of between approximately 405 nm and 440 nm, or between approximately 420 nm and 440 nm, or between approximately 420 nm and 440 nm. 
     
     
       10. The intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , further comprising a ultraviolet light absorbing compound. 
     
     
       11. The intraocular lens according to  claim 10 , wherein the ultraviolet light absorbing compound is a benzophenone or benzotriazole. 
     
     
       12. The intraocular lens according to  claim 1 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter increases transmittance from about 0% at 400 nm to about 100% at 450 nm. 
     
     
       13. The intraocular lens of  claim 1 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter increases transmittance from about 0% at 400 nm to about 100% at 450 nm. 
     
     
       14. An intraocular lens comprising: an optic; at least one haptic; and a vertical cut-off filter incorporated in the optic, wherein the vertical cut-off filter selectively filters wavelengths between about 400 nm to about 450 nm with little or no absorption of wavelengths above 450 nm, the vertical cut-off filter comprising a violet light absorbing dye, wherein the dye forms a discrete region near the center of the optic, the discrete region having a center and a border. 
     
     
       15. The intraocular lens according to  claim 14 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter includes light absorbing dye concentration gradient within the discrete region, the concentration gradient having a highest concentration of violet light absorbing dye in the discrete region's center and a lowest dye concentration at the discrete region's border. 
     
     
       16. The intraocular lens according to  claim 14 , wherein the vertical cut-off filter increases transmittance from about 0% at 400 nm to about 80% at 450 nm. 
     
     
       17. An intraocular lens comprising: an optic; at least one haptic; and a vertical cut-off filter incorporated therein, wherein the vertical cut-off filter selectively filters wavelengths between about 400 nm to about 450 nm with little or no absorption of wavelengths above 450 nm, further comprising:
 a center aperture in the optic for transmitting light onto the retina of an eye; 
 a dye disposed within at least a portion of the aperture; and 
 the center aperture having a first transmittance of approximately 10 percent at a first wavelength that is between 420 nm and 450 nm. 
 
     
     
       18. An intraocular lens according to  claim 17 , wherein the first wavelength is between about 420 nm and about 440 nm, the first wavelength is about 430 nm and the second wavelength is about 440 nm, the first wavelength is about 424 nm and the second wavelength is about 435 nm, or the first wavelength is about 439 nm and the second wavelength is about 448 nm. 
     
     
       19. The intraocular lens according to  claim 17 , wherein the center aperture has a second transmittal at a second wavelength that is about 10 nm greater than the first wavelength, the second transmittance being about 50 percent. 
     
     
       20. An intraocular lens comprising: an optic; at least one haptic; and a vertical cut-off filter incorporated therein, wherein the vertical cut-off filter selectively filters wavelengths between about 400 nm to about 450 nm with little or no absorption of wavelengths above 450 nm, further comprising:
 a center aperture in the optic for transmitting light onto the retina of an eye; 
 a dye disposed within at least a portion of the center aperture; 
 the center aperture characterized by a transmittance function over a wavelength range between 420 nm and 450 nm; 
 the transmittance function having a slope over at least a portion of the wavelength range that is greater than about 3 percent change in transmittance per nanometer change in wavelength. 
 
     
     
       21. An intraocular lens according to  claim 20 , wherein the transmittance function has a slope over at least a portion of the wavelength range that is greater than about 4 percent change in transmittance per nanometer change in wavelength.